Dr. Michael Karin is a world-renowned molecular biologist and preeminent authority on the molecular mechanisms linking inflammation, cancer, and metabolic diseases. He currently serves as Director of the Center for Metabolic and Liver Diseases at Sanford Burnham Prebys, having joined the institute on June 30, 2025, following an illustrious 39-year tenure at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. Prior to his current position, he held the distinguished title of Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology and Pathology and the Ben and Wanda Hildyard Chair for Mitochondrial and Metabolic Diseases at UCSD. Dr. Karin received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Tel Aviv University in 1975 and completed his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology at the University of California, Los Angeles in 1979, establishing the foundation for his groundbreaking career in biomedical research.
Dr. Karin's pioneering research has fundamentally transformed our understanding of how chronic inflammation serves as a critical driver of cancer development and metabolic disorders. He discovered the key inflammation supporting IKK-NF-kB and JNK-AP-1 signaling pathways, which represent foundational mechanisms in the molecular biology of inflammation and cancer. His seminal work established concrete molecular links between obesity, inflammation, and cancer, revealing how chronic inflammation can prevent cells from being constrained by normal programmed cell death processes. With over 300 publications in elite journals including Nature, Science, and Cell, and more than 300,000 citations reflecting his extraordinary impact, Dr. Karin was ranked first worldwide by the Institute of Scientific Information in molecular biology and genetics research.
Dr. Karin has been instrumental in shaping the field through his leadership roles, including serving as a cofounder of Signal Pharmaceutical and membership on the National Advisory Council for Environmental Health Sciences. An elected member of the US National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, and the European Molecular Biology Organization, his scientific authority extends across multiple disciplines and international boundaries. His current research continues to investigate how chronic inflammation can promote tumor formation and metabolic diseases, with particular focus on liver pathologies and the healing processes of injury and inflammation. As Director of the Center for Metabolic and Liver Diseases, Dr. Karin is poised to translate his fundamental discoveries into improved human health outcomes, building on his lifelong dedication to transforming research into clinical applications that address some of medicine's most challenging conditions.
